BSG: When the Pacing Does Not Match the Drums
Volume 8 of “so say we all,” the Battlestar Galactica blog carnival, is live.
spoilers for “Sine Qua Non” (4.08)
Perhaps it’s because I’m now at the point where I’m impatient with the journey and have arrived at just-give-me-some-answers!, but I thought this episode was a let down after the amazing “Jump!” ending of the previous episode
Whereas “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner?” progressed the story through showing, “Sine Qua Non” went back to a lot of talking. So many things happened which should feel enormous but they didn’t. They felt like they really were just events in the slipstream of time—at least to me.
- Natalie’s death
- Caprica’s pregnancy
- The wing at half-force
- Lee and Tigh’s promotions
- For the first time, both Bill and Laura are simultaneously not in charge.
All this and yet, I felt no sense of urgency. Let’s just get back to the Basestar already! They still went through with the mission against the Resurrection Hub. I want to see this!
Ok, one highfalutin (Did you know this was one word?) point from me before I go to the funner stuff.
People are often surprised that I am very pro-Second Amendment. No, I’m not a member of the NRA, but I do believe in a (potentially) armed citizenry.
I think the idea of revolution is very important. A people have the right to overthrow a nonresponsive and illegitimate government, by violent action if necessary. The point is always made—What hope does a civilian movement have of winning against the military technologies of today? And I agree. But I still believe in the strong symbolism of a people able to come together and form a well-regulated militia to secure their own states of freedom. This reading is more based on the “right of revolution” discussed by Thomas Jefferson, among others, than actual constitutional law. But there it is.
Random fangirl points:
- Recommended: Bear McCreary’s music notes about the episode. There’s an especially good point about Lee.
- Poor Richard Hatch. What does a guy have to do to become a main character around here?
- Poor Grace Park. Back to acting through bars again.
- Writers need to learn that it is rarely satisfying to have major series and character truths revealed through the use of an outside character who is really serving as a writer surrogate.
- Why didn’t Starbuck go with the president to see the Hybrid?
- If Adama steps down, what difference does it make if Zarek is president? And how is an Adama/Adama power alliance better than an Adama/Roslin one?
- On the Final Cylon front: It seems like there’s a Final Five baby boom going on. With Tyrol and Tigh, this puts all parents back into the possibility pool. Can Lampkin project? Is Lee paralleling Tigh on the assumption of command?
- The destruction of the hub. They better go back to this. Unboxing of the Threes? Show this. Don’t talk about it.
- Finally, full credit goes to the boyfriend for bringing up Schrödinger’s Cat. Although, Lampkin might have had a cat, but if we’re talking about Laura Roslin, Schrödinger’s Lioness may be more appropriate.
Whereas the fast pacing in the occasional episode is exciting, I need time to absorb what is happening. Which may be why it took me three days for all of what happened in this episode to sink in. Lee is acting president?! Tigh the Cyclon (as opposed to Tigh the incompetent) is in command of the fleet?! Six is pregnant?! (I thought they were just beating each other up. Talk about rough sex.) And yet, like you, I kept asking throughout the episode, ‘what’s happening on the baseship?’ Previews might indicate that the next episode will be about what’s happening there. But it better be comprehensive. Or my interest level is going to implode. Which would be a pity so close to the end.